1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in linking process in information equipment such as electric home appliances and equipment intended for use in offices, connected by a digitized network, and more particularly, to improvements in data transfer functions when the same contents data is processed by a plurality of pieces of different information equipment linked with one another.
2. Description of the Background Art
With the advent of the developments in recent digitizing technology, a plurality of pieces of information equipment such as home electric appliances or equipment for office use are more often connected with one another by a digitized network. One of the characteristics of such a digitized network is that the same contents data is frequently processed by simultaneously linking a plurality of pieces of equipment. Images reproduced for example by a video tape recorder is output to a printer or displayed in a TV (television) monitor.
In conventional methods for these operations, a function to be achieved is specified for each of the apparatus. If, for example, a video image from a VCR is displayed by a TV, a xe2x80x9creproductionxe2x80x9d command is applied to the VCR, while a
With recent spread of personal computers (hereinafter simply as xe2x80x9cPCsxe2x80x9d), a virtual interface where contents data or the image of equipment is iconified is used as a user interface for data transmitting/receiving between such equipment, and data transmitting/receiving is specified between the equipment. When data on a computer is output to a printer, for example, the icon of the printer displayed on the picture plane of a PC or the like is selected as an output destination, and data to output is similarly specified by selecting an icon representing a data file or the like.
These conventional techniques have however encountered the following problems. When a video image from a VCR is displayed on a TV, the user simply desires to xe2x80x9cwatch video imagesxe2x80x9d. However, the user must give totally different kinds of commands, xe2x80x9creproductionxe2x80x9d to the VCR and xe2x80x9cswitch to video inputxe2x80x9d to the TV. Therefore, instructions to be actually given are complicated and difficult compared with the simplicity of the request by the user.
When a virtual interface is used, the user must know the correspondence between available resources such as physical equipment or files and icons representing them on the virtual interface in order to make appropriate control. In order to pre-establish such correspondence, the network and equipment must be appropriately set beforehand. It was therefore difficult for the user not very familiar with the equipment to operate such a conventional virtual interface.
For example, assume that a plurality of controllable printers are present and data on a computer is to be printed out. In this case, the user must switch between the printers to output the data by referring to icons or names of equipment displayed on the virtual interface. If the user is not familiar with these icons or names of equipment, it would not be easy to output the data even to a printer which is located next to the user. Various advantages of the digitized network could not be utilized in this situation.
As one solution to this problem, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-268653 discloses an apparatus which dynamically changes the connection state of a plurality of audio-video equipment to a network. According to the technique disclosed by this document, when a command is given to a video-audio equipment connected to a network, the input/output line between the plurality of pieces of equipment connected to the network is dynamically switched depending upon the command.
By the technique disclosed by Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 6-268653, however, the user interface is still difficult to understand for the user. Furthermore, when two devices are linked for processing, operation instructions must be given separately. Therefore, there is a need for a system which makes easier the linkage process between equipment when contents data is copied or moved between the equipment connected by a network or the like. Such a system may be applicable also to linkage process between applicants not necessarily connected by a network.
Some equipment such as a personal computer (and a network of personal computers), audio equipment, a television receiver, a video tape recorder, and an auto mobile having a navigation device and electronic devices each includes a number of sub elements (such as various peripheral devices connected to the personal computer, a cassette tape recorder, a CD (Compact Disc) player, an AM radio receiver and an FM radio receiver included in the audio equipment, and a satellite tuner and a ground wave tuner in the television receiver). The above-described problem is encountered when one of such sub elements is specified and data transfer between this element and another equipment is desired.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a system and a method which permit a data transfer function between a plurality of pieces of information equipment to be more readily specified and equipment therefor.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system and a method and equipment therefor which permit a data transfer function to be more readily executed between a plurality of pieces of information equipment each including a plurality of sub elements.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a system and a method which permit a data transfer to be automatically executed by specifying source equipment and destination equipment through physical interaction with such equipment in a plurality of pieces of information equipment and equipment transfer.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a system and a method which permit an appropriate data transfer depending upon a combination of equipment to be automatically executed, by specifying source equipment and destination equipment through physical interaction with such equipment in a plurality of pieces of information equipment and equipment therefor.
A still further object of the invention is to provide is a system and a method which permit a data transfer to be automatically executed, by specifying a sub element included in a source equipment and a sub element included in destination equipment through physical interaction with these elements in an a plurality of pieces of information equipment each including a plurality of sub elements and equipment therefor.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a system and a method which permit an appropriate data transfer depending upon a combination of sub element equipment to be automatically executed, by specifying sub element equipment included in a source equipment and a sub element equipment included in destination equipment and equipment therefor.
A data transfer method according to the present invention is utilized in a system including a plurality of pieces of equipment capable of transferring data with one another. The method includes the steps of preparing information to specify a data transfer function depending upon a combination of source equipment and destination equipment in a machine-readable form, specifying the source equipment through physical interaction with the source equipment, specifying the destination equipment through physical interaction with the destination equipment, and operating the source equipment and destination equipment to uniquely determine a data transfer function based on information related to the specified source equipment, information related to the specified destination equipment, and the information to specify a data transfer function prepared in the machine-readable form and to automatically execute transmission.
When the source equipment is specified through physical interaction and the destination equipment is specified through physical interaction, a data transfer function is uniquely determined based on the information related to the source and destination and the prepared information to specify the data transfer function and a data transfer is executed automatically. Different commands do not have to be given separately for the source and destination. Since the source equipment and destination equipment are specified through physical interaction, the user does not have to be familiar with the correspondence between the equipment and the corresponding icons unlike the case of using a virtual interface. As a result, a data transfer associated with linking process between equipment may be readily specified.
The source or/and destination equipment each preferably includes a plurality of sub elements functioning separately from one another. The preparing step includes the step of preparing information to specify data transfer functions depending upon possible combinations of sub elements in the source equipment and sub elements in the destination equipment in a machine-readable form. The step of specifying the source equipment includes the step of specifying one of the sub elements in the source equipment through physical interaction with the sub element. The step of specifying the destination equipment includes the step of specifying one of the sub elements in the destination equipment through physical interaction with the sub element. The step of operating the source equipment and destination equipment includes the step of uniquely determining a data transfer function based information on the specified source sub element, information on the specified destination sub element, and the information to specify the data transfer function, thereby operating the source sub element and the destination sub element to automatically execute transmission.
More preferably, the step of operating the source sub element and the destination sub element includes the steps of extracting a data transfer function based information on the specified source sub element, information on the specified destination sub element, and the information to specify the data transfer function, selecting one of a plurality of data transfer functions according to a predetermined determination method if such a plurality of data transfer functions are extracted, and operating the source sub element and the destination sub element to automatically execute transmission according to the selected data transfer function.
For example, with an audio equipment including a plurality of sub elements such as a CD (Compact disc) player, a cassette tape recorder, and a tuner, a data transfer function cannot be specified simply by specifying the audio equipment as a source or destination. Thus, in such a case, each of the sub elements constituting the equipment is specified as a unit of source or destination. Thus, a data transfer function between equipment having a plurality of sub elements may be readily specified.
More preferably, the step of operating the source equipment and destination equipment includes the steps of extracting a data transfer function based on information related to the specified source equipment, information related to the specified destination equipment, and information to specify the data transfer function, selecting one of a plurality of data transfer functions according to a predetermined determination method when such a plurality of data transfer functions are extracted, and operating the source equipment and destination equipment to automatically execute transmission according to the selected data transfer function.
If the source equipment and destination equipment are both uniquely determined, the data transfer function is not always determined uniquely when each equipment has a number of functions. Hence, if a plurality of data transfer functions are extracted, one data transfer function is selected by the user or extracted according to a rule to determine a predetermined priority. Thus, the data transfer between multifunctional equipment may be readily specified.
A data transfer system according to another aspect of the present invention includes a network, a plurality of pieces of equipment connected to the network, a unit to specify a source equipment through physical interaction with the source equipment, a unit to specify destination equipment through physical interaction with the destination equipment, and a unit to uniquely determine a data transfer function based on the combination of the source equipment and destination equipment specified for execution.
When the source and destination are specified through physical interaction, a data transfer function is uniquely determined based on the combination and executed. Since a data transfer function between equipment is specified through physical interaction with source equipment and destination equipment, the load of identifying the source and destination by the user is alleviated, resulting in easier operation involved in the transfer.
More preferably, the unit to specify a source is provided for each of possible source equipment and the unit to specify a destination is provided for each of possible destination equipment.
Source equipment and destination equipment may be specified by operating units provided in them. Therefore, unlike the case of using a virtual interface, the user does not have to be familiar with the correspondence between abstract indications such as icons and actual equipment.
The data transfer system preferably further includes a separate remote control device not connected to the network. The remote control device can communicate separately with a plurality of pieces of equipment. The remote control device includes a source specifying device and a destination specifying device.
Using the remote control device capable of communicating separately with the equipment, source and destination equipment may be specified. As compared to the case of using a virtual interface, the source and destination may be more readily distinguished from each other. As a result, equipment may more readily specified.
Further preferably, the source equipment or destination equipment each includes a plurality of sub elements functioning separately from one another. The device to specify source equipment includes a device to specify one of the sub elements included in the source equipment through physical interaction with the sub element. The device to specify destination equipment includes a device to specify one of the sub elements in the destination equipment through physical interaction with the sub element. A transfer execution device includes a device to uniquely determine a data transfer function based on information related to the specified source sub element, information related to the specified destination sub element, and the information to specify the data transfer function and operates the source sub element and destination sub element to automatically execute transmission.
When the source equipment or destination equipment includes a plurality of sub elements functioning separately from one another, one of the sub elements may be specified as a unit source or destination. Therefore, a data transfer function associated with linking process between equipment including a plurality of sub elements may be readily specified.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a device to specify a transfer equipment includes a unit connected to the network to receive data source information and data destination information from the network, and a unit to uniquely determine a function to be executed by the source equipment and a function to be executed by the destination equipment based on the received source information and destination information and to provide corresponding indications to the source equipment and destination equipment through the network.
By specifying the source equipment and destination equipment, the functions to be executed by the source equipment and destination equipment are uniquely determined and specified in this unit to specify the transfer equipment. The user may specify a desired data transfer function simply by specifying the source and destination.
A remote control device in a network equipment according to yet another aspect of the invention communicates separately with a plurality of pieces of equipment connected to a network to control such equipment, and includes a unit to specify equipment with which it communicates as a data transfer source, and a unit to specify equipment with which it communicates as a data transfer destination.
Using the remote control device in the network equipment, the data transfer source or destination is separately specified, and therefore the user may identify equipment to be specified when the source or destination is specified. As compared to the case of using a virtual interface, the specifying of the source and destination may be more easily understood.
In a remote control device according to yet another aspect of the present invention controls a plurality of pieces of equipment by remotely separately communicating with the equipment. The remote control device includes a communication device capable of remote communication separately with the plurality pieces of equipment, a unit to receive source information from equipment specified as a data transfer source equipment among the plurality pieces of equipment, a unit to transmit the source information to destination equipment, a unit to receive information to specify a data transfer function to be executed by the source equipment from the destination equipment, a unit to provide the received information to specify the transfer function to the source equipment, a unit to receive Hi the data applied according to the specified data transfer function from the source equipment and temporarily storing the data, and a unit to transmit the temporarily stored data to the destination equipment according to the specified data transfer function.
If the source equipment and destination equipment are not connected by a network, data may transferred via the remote control device serving as a buffering device.
Information equipment according to a still further aspect of the present invention includes a functional portion to implement a prescribed information processing function, a control circuit to control the functional portion and a network interface provided between the control circuit and the network, and a processing indication unit to receive source and destination information for a data transfer to be executed through the network, uniquely determine the data transfer function, and provide control unit for the source equipment and the control circuit in the destination equipment with information to specify the processings to be executed by them.
The processing indication unit uniquely determines the data transfer function based on the received source and destination information and indicates to the source equipment and destination equipment about the processings to be executed by them. The user does not have to give an instruction to the source equipment and destination equipment about the function to be executed by them. As a result, a data transfer associated with linking process between information equipment may be readily specified.